If there is anything missing from todays Bollywood films, it is the loss of painted posters of heroes looking tough, and heroines providing some mystique and sensuality to bring the audience. Instead of the trailers that nearly reveal the whole plot, a poster would use the definitive objects of guns or an almost clinch between the lead pair to let you know if this was a glorious crime drama or a cute romance. With the recent exhibition of Bollywood posters at the Royal Ontario Museum for the IIFA, we just had to look back at the most iconic and unusual posters of then and now.
Mother India
This list would be incomplete without one of the most famous posters of Indian cinema. The almost Christ-like posture of Nargis and the absolute weariness on her face make this a very stirring painting. With Nargis front and centre in front of the expansive landscape of animals and throngs of movement reveals the grand scale of the movie too.
